One Fast Fact about Every Team

 

     March Madness is finally here as the bracket has been unveiled and the all-day-long first round of the Big Dance kicks off Thursday and Friday. The upsets, the Cinderellas, the buzzer-beaters, the mascots, the bracket pools, and the Madness are all just days away.

     A perfect bracket has never ever ever ever been filled out and may never ever ever be completed. Things like winning the power ball (or MegaMillions), being struck by lightning, being eaten by a shark, and having sextuplets all have statistically greater odds. But yet we try year after year because why the Hell not.

      No matter how many facts you digest or how much basketball you watch or how much research you do, there's no perfect way to pick a bracket and at the end of the day picking a good bracket to a certain extent is all about feel and going with your gut. But still, some minimal basic knowledge can be helpful when competing in pools against your peers.

     It would be impossible to become an expert on all 68 teams in the field in less than 72 hours, but the aim of this brief write-up will be to identify one key fact about every team in the Dance. Because there are so many, each team will get a cap of only two sentences. So in the spirit of keeping things brief and easy, let's jump in.

The 1 Seeds

Auburn Tigers

They're the top ranked team but have lost 3 of their last 4 games.

In Auburn's defense, they had a record of 27-2 before that and all of those losses come to teams in the Top 19 with two of them being ranked in the top 7. But still does slumping to the finish raise concern when other teams appear to be peaking at the right time?

Duke Blue Devils

They have the best player in the country, and solid depth behind him.

I'm 99% sure Cooper Flag will be the #1 pick in the NBA Draft this summer and some analysts are already referring to him as a future Hall-of-Famer. Flagg missed the ACC tournament with a sprained ankle and Duke still managed to win the tournament, which speaks volumes about the supporting cast behind Flagg.

Houston Cougars

They like to slow the pace.

Most of the other elite teams like to get out and run and score a barrage of points, but Houston's brand of basketball is built on being patient on offense and wearing their opponent down with longer possessions and playing top-notch defense. This style of play keeps the score lower and makes it difficult for their opponent to generate points given the fact that they'll have fewer possessions and difficulty scoring with the ones they have.

Florida Gators

The most red-hot team in the field right now.

Contrary to Houston, Florida can score prolifically and few teams are able to keep pace. They have 5 or 6 different guys who can pop off on any given night and as long as the rest all play average few teams will be able to hang.

The 2 Seeds

Michigan State Spartans

They struggle offensively but are elite defensively.

This may seem similar to Houston but Houston is far more efficient with the offensive possessions they have, they just elect to milk the clock and have less of them. Michigan State has a harder time scoring but their strong defensive play, hustle, and grit was still enough to keep them among the nation's best.

Alabama Crimson Tide

They play at the fastest pace in the country.

Opposite of Michigan State, Bama is all gas no breaks and is content to try to beat anyone in a high-scoring shoot out. The defense is shaky at times, which can get them in trouble, but when Bama is firing on all cylinders offensively few teams can keep up.

Tennessee Volunteers

They are the #1 ranked team in adjusted defensive efficiency

Similar to Michigan State and Houston, Tennessee has excellent perimeter defenders that make it hard for their opponents to score many points. There are retirement rumors floating around for head coach Rick Barnes, who has not yet won a national title, perhaps he could author a magical finish with this group before his career comes to an end.

St. John's Red Storm

Their 4 losses are by a combined 7 points.

You're reading that correctly, St. John's only lost 4 times all year and all of them come by 3 points or less. Furthermore, all were either road games or neutral site games, so we can expect St. John's to have a fighting chance in any and every game.

The 3 Seeds

Iowa State Cyclones

Their second best player is out for the entire tournament due to injury.

News broke recently that Keshon Gilbert, the second-highest scorer on the team, will miss the entire tournament with a groin injury. This is a massive blow to the Cyclones' chances but there's still a group of steady veterans that will shoulder the load and try to lead them.

Wisconsin Badgers

This is their highest scoring team since the '70s

Wisconsin is a consistently good program that is always a threat to make a run but never quite reaches the mountain top. But this is the best offense they've had in 50 years which should give them a shot in any game.

Kentucky Wildcats

They have injury questions but can beat anyone when healthy.

The Wildcats have 8 wins over teams in the top-15, meaning they're very battle tested and played one of the nation's most difficult schedules. But Kentucky's best player, Lamont Butler, is playing through a lingering shoulder injury, and has two other supporting players out for the season, so it feels like this group could have a ceiling.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

They have few weaknesses and quietly had a terrific season

There's not much I can say about Texas Tech that separates them from everyone else, but they're statistically in the top-10 in several metrics and a well-rounded group overall. They're not elite in any one category but they're at least good or better at just about everything.

The 4 Seeds

Texas A&M Aggies

They lead the nation in offensive rebounding.

This means that when they shoot and miss they get second chances more than anyone else. This means extra possessions and more chances to score than their opponents which makes them a sneaky 4-seed.

Arizona Wildcats

They're streaky and have a wide range of outcomes

Arizona had an up and down season, they started 5-6, then won 13 of their next 14, and then finished 5-6 yet again. At times they look like a team with Final 4 potential but at other times look like a team that could be subject to an early exit.

Purdue Boilermakers

They were the National Runner-Up Last Year, but no longer have Zack Edey.

You might remember Zack Edey, a 7 foot 4 menace who could score, rebound, and block shots who Purdue fed the ball to religiously down low. Edey is gone now but Purdue still has an elite head coach in Matt Painter and an All-American in Braden Smith.

Maryland Terrapins

They have the nation's highest scoring starting 5, but a questionable bench

 Known as the "Crab-5", Maryland's starting 5 all average double digit points per game and their combined scoring average is the highest of any team in the country. This makes them hard to defense as any of these 5 players can score when all are on the floor together, but the million-dollar question is whether Maryland's bench can sustain things when the starter's need rest.

The 5 Seeds

Michigan Wolverines

They have 12 wins by 4 points or less, but are getting hot at the right time.

We can look at the stat one of two ways, on the one hand they are incredibly good in close game situations but on the contrary they struggle to pull away even from inferior opponents. It should be noted though that Michigan did win the Big 10 tournament this weekend, beating both Wisconsin and Maryland along the way.

Oregon Ducks

They like to mix up their defensive schemes mid-game

Oregon is fun to watch because they'll consistently switch up defenses throughout a game to keep their opponents guessing. Sometimes they'll play traditional half-court man-to-man, other times zone, and other times they'll apply pressure with traps and double teams.

Clemson Tigers

They set a school record for wins this year.

The 27 wins are a school record and Clemson won 14 of its final 15 regular season games (not including their loss to Louisville in the ACC tournament) with the only loss coming to Duke. Clemson made it to the Elite 8 last year and that experience could prove valuable entering this year's tournament.

Memphis Tigers

Their second-best player is Questionable to play.

Tyrese Hunter is questionable with a foot injury which kept him out of the conference tournament this weekend. If Hunter can't go it's a massive blow to Memphis' chances of making a deep run.

The 6 Seeds

Ole Miss Rebels

They take care of the ball but are undersized and struggle to score.

Ole Miss is top 5 nationally in fewest turnovers, meaning they take good care of the basketball and generate more possessions than other teams who may be a bit sloppier. But they're one of the smaller teams in the field and don't have many ball-dominant players who can create their own shots in the games closing moments.

BYU Cougars

Quietly one of the deepest teams and most efficient offenses.

They have 9 different guys who average between 6 and 16 points per game and since Feb 11 they have led the country in shooting percentage (61% from 2, 39% from 3). 

Illinois Fighting Illini

Consistently Inconsistent

Similar to Arizona, at times Illinois looks like a top-10 team in terms of talent and other times they look like a team who will get rolled in the first round. It's a difficult team to trust to string it all together for more than a couple consecutive games.

Missouri Tigers

The nation's most improved team since last season.

Last year Missouri didn't win a single conference game and had a 19 game losing streak to end the season. What a difference a year makes as now they're a 6 seed in March Madness and one of the nation's highest scoring offenses.

The 7 Seeds

Marquette Golden Eagles

They're among the best in turnover-margin but haven't beaten a Top 50 team in over 2 months.

Marquette doesn't commit many turnovers and they're good at forcing their opponents into making them, but they've lost 6 of their last 10 and haven't beaten a top 50 team since January 3 (but a strong earlier start to the season helped get them here).

Saint Mary's Gaels

Great at Defense and getting Offensive Rebounds

The Gaels have a top-15 defense and similar to Texas A&M get second-chances on 41% of their missed shots.

UCLA Bruins

Play the same style and philosophy as Houston, but don't score as frequently.

UCLA has the same identity as Houston, long possessions, patient offense, maniac defense, clock management, and low-scoring games. This has won them many games, including a handful against pretty good teams, but they can't score at the rate Houston can which allows their opponents a chance in low-scoring affairs.

Kansas Jayhawks

They have one of only three coaches in the field who has won multiple National Titles

Bill Self has led Kansas to two National Championships, most recently in 2022. The other two who have are Uconn's Dan Hurley and St. Johns' Rick Pitino (who won a title with 2 different schools, Kentucky and Louisville).

The 8 Seeds

Louisville Cardinals

A way better team than their seed indicates

Why Louisville was given an 8 seed is beyond me. The Cardinals won 19 of their final 20 regular season games, finished runner-up in the ACC tournament, and currently rank 10th in the AP poll.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

High scoring team that may benefit from finally playing non-SEC opponents

On paper the Bulldogs look like an average team with an average record but some of this can be attributed to how strong the SEC was this season. That level of being battle-tested should help Mississippi State.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

They have made at least the Sweet 16 in 9 straight years and are an 8 seed that everyone else should fear

Despite their seed, Gonzaga ranks top-10 in several predictive measures and has two of the nation's best players in Ryan Nemhard and Graham Ike. This is not your ordinary 8 seed.

Uconn Huskies

They're going for a 3-peat

The Huskies are the reigning back-to-back National Champs, but most of the key contributors from the past two seasons are in the NBA now. A 3-peat will take a massive uphill climb, but Uconn has proven to be tough to bet against the past two seasons and we know Dan Hurley can win in March.

The 9 Seeds

Creighton Blue Jays

They foul less than any other team in the country

What Creighton has going for them is that they foul at the lowest rate in the nation and thus their opponents don't get to the free throw line much.

Baylor Bears

Talented team that has battled the injury bug

Baylor had higher preseason expectations, especially considering Freshman VJ Edgecome will probably be a top-5 NBA draft pick this summer. But a plethora of injuries have caused Baylor to have a mediocre regular season.

Georgia Bulldogs

First time in March Madness since 2015

It's no secret that this is a football first school but credit to Georgia who ended a 10-year March Madness drought this season.

Oklahoma Sooners

Talented but inconsistent

They have an impressive collection of wins including Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, and Louisville but can be a vexing team.

The 10 Seeds

New Mexico Lobos

Coached by Rick Pitino's son.

As aformentioned, St. John's head coach Rick Pitino is a Hall of Fame coach has won a title at two different schools and led 3 different schools to the Final 4 and 6 different schools to the NCAA tournament. His son Richard coaches New Mexico and has led them to back to back tournament appearances for the first time since 2014.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Defense and turnovers are problems

Vanderbilt is here for the first time since 2017 and that's something to be proud of, but they had the SEC's bottom ranked defense and were the conference's most turnover-prone team.

Utah State Aggies

Consistently Mid

They make the tournament almost every year and lose in the first 2 rounds almost every year.

Arkansas Razorbacks

First season under former long-time Kentucky head coach John Calipari

One of the biggest stories of the offseason was Kentucky deciding to part ways with long-time head coach John Calipari, who Arkansas quickly scooped up. How Calipari (and Kentucky) perform in their first season since separating from one another will be one of the big storylines to watch.

The 11 Seeds

San Diego State Aztecs

Elite defense, average offense

They force turnovers and hold teams to low shooting percentages but their middle of the pack offense keeps their opponents in games.

North Carolina Tar Heels

They were the last team in

Every 12-16 seed was a conference champion and thus got in automatically, UNC was firmly on the Bubble for months but did just enough down the stretch to earn their way into the field.

Virginia Commonwealth Rams

They play small-ball but its effective

Most teams start two guards (smallest players) two forwards (middle height players) and a center (tall player) but VCU opts to start 4 guards. This leaves them undersized at times but they can combat with extra speed and perimeter shooting.

Texas Longhorns

Their SEC schedule helped them get in

Texas was another one of the teams sweating it out on Selection Sunday, but playing in the nation's toughest conference and winning just enough helped them secure one of the final spots.

Xavier Muskateers

They live and die by the 3-ball

At 39% Xavier is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, but if the long-ball isn't falling it will be tough for Xavier to find an alternative way to win.

Drake Bulldogs

They're one of only 6 30-win teams in the field.

The other 5 are Duke, Houston, Florida, St. John's and not-yet-mentioned UC San Diego. Drake and UCSD play in weaker conferences and thus aren't seeded anywhere near the other 4, but Drake's impressive 30-3 record shouldn't be overlooked.

The 12 Seeds

UC San Diego

This is their first season of March Madness eligibility as a Division 1 School

NCAA rules state you are ineligible for post-season tournaments until your 5th year as a D1 program, which is the year UCSD is in. They went 30-4 and made March Madness in their first ever year of eligibility which is a rare and impressive accomplishment.

Liberty Flames

Small but good at 3-point shooting

Liberty is a small Christian school that doesn't have the size and athleticism like many of the power programs but they are top 5 in 3 point percentage. But will that be sustainable against better more athletic defenses?

McNeese Cowboys

They are 57-10 over the past 2 seasons

Former LSU coach Will Wade landed here and was given a second chance in coaching after recruiting violations cost him his job at LSU. He's made the most of the opportunity at a smaller school leading McNeese to back to back conference titles and March Madness appearances.

Colorado State Rams

Getting Hot at the Right Time

Don't let the 12 seed fool you, Colorado State has been one of the hottest shooting and best playing teams over the final 2.5 months of the season, and has a chance to keep the positive momentum rolling.

The 13 Seeds

Yale Bulldogs

They knocked Auburn out in the first round last year

Don't let the Ivy League brand fool you. Yale has won the Ivy League 5 times in the last 10 seasons and has won at least 1 game in March Madness multiple times in that stretch, including an upset over Auburn last season.

Akron Zips

Came back from 18 down in their conference title game to win and get in

Akron plays in the MAC, a conference where only the conference champion gets into the tournament. They were down 18 to Miami-Ohio but rallied back to win in the final seconds and punch their ticket.

High Point Panthers

First Ever March Madness Appearance

They hit a High Point in their program history (pun intended) and will get their first ever taste of the Big Dance.

Grand Canyon Lopes

4th March Madness in 5 Years

Grand Canyon is back on the big stage for the 4th time in 5 years. Last year they won their first ever March Madness game with an upset over Saint Mary's.

The 14 Seeds

Lipscomb Bisons

They are better at basketball than grammar.

The plural of Bison is Bison :)

Montana Grizzlies

Above average offense for a 14 seed

It's rare to pick a team seeded 14 or lower to win a game, but Montana statistically boasts one of the better offenses of the lower-seeded small school teams.

Troy Trojans

Good at rebounding, bad at defense

The real fun fact is that two guys I went to high school with played college basketball here many years ago. I also played a summer camp tournament here.

UNC Wilmington Seahawks

They have the youngest head coach in the field

Takayo Siddle is only 38.

15 Seeds

Bryant Bulldogs

Surprising Size for a small school

All 5 starters are 6'6 or taller.

Robert Morris Colonels

Only one loss since Feb 8

And it was by 2 points. They have won 16 of their last 17.

Wofford Terriers

Won their conference tournament despite being a 6 seed

Finished 6th in their conference but managed to win the conference tournament and secure the March Madness bid.

Omaha Mavericks

Dominant team but has not played a quality opponent

They have just destroyed whatever trash can is in their way thus far, but good luck against St. John's.

16 Seeds

St. Francis Red Flash

St. Francis is the patron saint of animals, the environment, and ecologists.

Nothing to do with basketball but yay Catholicism.

Alabama State Hornets

They do have a win against another March Madness team

They beat Omaha in November.

Mount Saint Mary's Mountaineers

Also won their conference tournament as a 6 seed and also have a 38 year old head coach

See Wofford and UNC Wilmington.

American University Eagles

Not to be confused with American Eagle

LOL.

SIU Edwardsville Cougars

A tall team for a 16 seed

4 starters 6'7 or taller and a 6'11 bench player.

Norfolk State Spartans

Won their conference tournament in a wild sequence

A player on the opposing team did not realize the game was tied and intentionally fouled a Norfolk State player to stop the clock. This gave Norfolk State the winning free throws and conference title.